Designation: E 2347 04

Standard Test Method for

Indentation Softening Temperature by Thermomechanical

Analysis1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 2347; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2
D 1525 Test Method for Vicat Softening Temperature of
Plastics
E 473 Terminology Relating to Thermal Analysis
E 1142 Terminology Relating to Thermophysical Properties
E 1363 Test Method for Temperature Calibration of Thermomechanical Analyzers
E 2113 Test Method for Length Change Calibration of
Thermomechanical Analyzers
E 2206 Test Method for Force Calibration of Thermomechanical Analyzers

1. Scope
1.1 This test method is applicable to materials that soften
upon heating to a modulus less than 6.0 MPa. This test method
describes the determination of the temperature at which the
specific modulus of either 6.65 (Method A) or 33.3 MPa
(Method B) (equivalent to Test Method D 1525) of a test
specimen is realized by indentation measurement using a
thermomechanical analyzer as the test specimen is heated. This
temperature is identified as the indentation softening temperature. The test may be performed over the temperature range of
ambient to 300C.
NOTE 1This test method is intended to provide results similar to those
of Test Method D 1525 but is performed on a thermomechanical analyzer
using a smaller diameter indenting probe. Equivalence of results to those
obtained by Test Method D 1525 has been demonstrated on a limited
number of materials. Until the user demonstrates equivalence, the results
of this Test Method shall be considered to be independent and unrelated to
those of Test Method D 1525.

3. Terminology
3.1 DefinitionsSpecific technical terms used in this standard are defined in Terminologies E 473 and E 1142.
3.2 penetration softening temperature, [C], nthe temperature at which a test specimen has a modulus of either 6.65
or 33.3 MPa as measured in penetration.

1.2 This test method is not recommended for ethyl cellulose, poly (vinyl chloride), poly (vinylidene chloride) and other
materials having a large measurement imprecision (see Test
Method D 1525 and sections 5.3 and 14.1.2).
1.3 Electronic instrumentation or automated data analysis
and reduction systems or treatments equivalent to this test
method may be used.

4. Summary of Test Method

4.1 The modulus of a material may be determined by the
indentation (penetration) of a circular, flat tipped probe. The
relationship between modulus of a material (stress divided by
strain) and penetration depth is given by:
E 5 3 F / ~4 D d!

NOTE 2Since all electronic data treatments are not equivalent, the
user shall verify equivalency to this test method.

(1)

where:
E = modulus, MPa,
F = force, N,
D = diameter of a circular, flat tipped probe, mm, and
d = penetration depth, mm.

1.4 SI values are the standard.

1.5 There is no ISO standard equivalent to this test method.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

NOTE 3Note the identity Pa = N / m2

1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E37 on Thermal
Measurements and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E37.01 on Thermal
Analysis and Rheology Methods.
Current edition approved Feb. 1, 2004. Published March 2004.

2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.

Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

E 2347 04
1.0 mm in diameter, free of burrs and be perpendicular to the
axis of the probe. The tip shall protrude at least 0.1 mm from
the end of the probe.
6.1.3 Deflection Sensing Element, having a linear output
over a minimum range of 5 mm to measure the displacement of
the rigid penetration probe (see 6.1.2) to within 6 0.1 m.
6.1.4 Programmable Force Transducer, to generate a constant force (6 2.5 %) between 0.05 and 1.0 N that is applied to
the specimen through the rigid penetration probe (see 6.1.2).

4.2 Some materials soften upon heating. For such materials,

the modulus may be determined by penetration as the sample
is heated. This test method identifies the temperature at which
the modulus of the specimen is determined to be 6.65 MPa
(Method A) or 33.3 MPa (Method B).
4.3 Specifically, a test specimen is tested in penetration
using a circular, flat tipped probe. A known stress is applied to
the center of a test specimen as it is heated at a constant rate
from ambient temperature to the upper temperature limit for
the material. The penetration (that is, deflection) of the test
specimen is recorded as a function of temperature. The
temperature at which the modulus of the specimen is determined to be 6.65 MPa (Method A) or 33.3 MPa (Method B) is
determined to be the penetration softening temperature.

NOTE 4Other forces may be used but shall be reported.

6.1.5 Temperature Sensor, that can be positioned reproducibly in close proximity to the specimen to measure its temperature over the range of 25 to 300C to 6 0.1C.
6.1.6 Temperature Programmer and Furnace, capable of
temperature programming the test specimen from ambient to
300C at a linear rate of at least 2.0 6 0.2C/min.
6.1.7 Means of Providing a Specimen Environment, of inert
gas at a purge rate of 50 mL/min 6 5 %.

5. Significance and Use

5.1 Data obtained by this test method shall not be used to
predict the behavior of materials at elevated temperatures
except in applications in which the conditions of time, temperature, method of loading, and stress are similar to those
specified in the test.
5.2 This standard is particularly suited for quality control
and development work. The data are not intended for use in
design or predicting endurance at elevated temperatures.
5.3 Ruggedness testing indicates that some materials, such
as poly (vinyl chloride) exhibit substantially greater imprecision than that described in Section 14 for well behaved
materials.

NOTE 5Typically, inert purge gas that inhibits specimen oxidation are
99.9+ % pure nitrogen, helium or argon. Dry gases are recommended for
all experiments unless the effect of moisture is part of the study.

6.1.8 Recording Device, to record and display the experimental parameters of penetration on the Y-axis (ordinate) to a
sensitivity of 6 0.1 m and of temperature on the X-axis
(abscissa) to a sensitivity of 6 0.1C.
6.2 Calipers, Micrometer, or other length measuring device
capable of a length measurement of up to 2 mm with a
precision of 6 1 m.

6. Apparatus
6.1 A thermomechanical analyzer consisting of:
6.1.1 Rigid Specimen Holder, of inert, low expansivity
material (< 1 m m-1 C-1) to center the specimen in the
furnace and to fix the specimen to mechanical ground.
6.1.2 Rigid Penetration Probe, of inert, low expansivity
material (< 1 m m-1 C-1) that contacts the specimen with an
applied compression force (see Fig. 1). The tip shall be 0.1 to

7. Hazards
7.1 Toxic or corrosive effluents, or both, may be released
when heating some materials and could be harmful to personnel and to apparatus.

FIG. 1 Penetration Probe

E 2347 04
11.3.1 Set the value of Force (F) to 0.75 6 0.01 N.
11.3.2 Perform Scouting Experiment:
11.3.2.1 Using Eq 2 and an estimated value of do = 0,
estimate the deflection (d) to be used as the experimental
endpoint to three significant figures.
11.3.2.2 Center the test specimen on the stage with a surface
perpendicular to the loading nose of the penetration probe.
11.3.2.3 Load the penetration probe onto the center of the
test specimen with the force determined in 11.2.1 (Method A)
or 11.3.1 (Method B). Set the deflection signal to zero at
ambient temperature.
11.3.2.4 Heat the test specimen at 2.0 6 0.2C min-1 from
ambient temperature until the deflection d (determined in
11.3.3.1) is obtained while recording specimen deflection and
temperature. Once the deflection value is achieved, terminate
the temperature program and remove the load from the test
specimen. Cool the apparatus to ambient temperature.
11.3.2.5 Record the temperature at the deflection value d as
the estimated indentation softening temperature (T).
11.3.2.6 For ease of interpretation, record the thermal curve
with penetration displayed on the Y-axis and temperature on
the X-axis as illustrated in Fig. 2.
11.3.3 Determine the Baseline:
11.3.3.1 With no sample present, place the tip of the
penetration probe onto the center of the sample stage. Load the
probe with the force determined in 11.2.1 or 11.3.1. Set the
deflection scale signal to be zero at ambient temperature.
11.3.3.2 Heat the sample area at 2.0 6 0.2 C min-1 from
ambient temperature to a temperature 5C higher than T
determined in 11.3.3.3. Once the temperature program is
complete, remove the load from the probe and cool the
apparatus to ambient temperature.
11.3.3.3 Measure the deflection of the baseline at temperature T and record it as do.

8. Sampling, Test Specimens, and Test Units

8.1 Because the specimen size is small, care shall be taken
to ensure that each specimen is homogeneous and representative of the sample as a whole.
8.2 The specimen may be cut from sheets, plates or molded
shapes, or may be molded to the desired finished dimensions.
8.3 A typical test specimen is a rectangle 78 3 78 mm or
a circle 78 mm in diameter with a thickness of 1 to 3 mm.
8.4 This standard assumes that the material is isotropic.
Should specimens be anisotropic, such as in reinforced composites, the direction of the reinforcing agent shall be reported
relative to the compression (specimen) dimensions.
9. Preparation of Apparatus
9.1 Perform any setup or calibration procedures recommended by the apparatus manufacturer in the operations
manual.
10. Calibration and Standardization
10.1 Calibrate the temperature display of the apparatus
according to Test Method E 1363 using a heating rate of 2.0 6
0.2C/min.
10.2 Calibrate the deflection display of the apparatus according to Test Method E 2113.
10.3 Calibrate the mechanism for applying force to the test
specimen according to Test Method E 2206.
11. Procedure
11.1 Measure the diameter of the circular penetration tip of
the penetration probe to 6 1 m and record this value as D.
11.2 Method A:
11.2.1 Set the value of Force (F) at 0.15 6 0.004 N.
11.2.2 Proceed with steps 11.3.2 to 11.3.4.6.
11.3 Method B:

FIG. 2 Penetration Curve of Polystyrene

E 2347 04
5 19.3 m

NOTE 6do is positive for a baseline that expands with temperature and
negative if the baseline contracts.

13. Report

11.3.4 Test Specimen:

11.3.4.1 Using Eq 2 and the value for do from 11.3.2.3,
determine to three significant figures the deflect (d) to be used
as the experimental endpoint.
11.3.4.2 Center the test specimen on the stage with a surface
perpendicular to the loading nose of the penetration probe.
11.3.4.3 Load the penetration probe onto the center of the
test specimen with the force determined in 11.2.1 (Method A)
or 11.3.1 (Method B). Set the deflection signal to zero at
ambient temperature.
11.3.4.4 Using the appropriate softening temperature determined in 11.3.2.5 start the temperature program 50C below
this temperature and heat the test specimen at 2.0 6 0.2C
min-1 from ambient temperature until the deflection d (determined in 11.3.4.1) is obtained while recording specimen
deflection and temperature. Once the deflection value is
achieved, terminate the temperature program and remove the
load from the test specimen. Cool the apparatus to ambient
temperature.
11.3.4.5 Record the temperature at the deflection value d as
the indentation softening temperature (T).
11.3.4.6 For ease of interpretation, record the thermal curve
with penetration displayed on the Y-axis and temperature on
the X-axis as illustrated in Fig. 2.

13.1 Report the following information:

13.1.1 Complete identification and description of the material tested including source, manufacturer code and any thermal or mechanical pretreatment.
13.1.2 Description of the instrument used, including model
number and location of the temperature sensor.
13.1.3 Details of the procedure used to calculate the penetration softening temperature including strain and resulting
force, stress and resultant strain, as well as specimen dimensions.
13.1.4 Heating rate, C/min, and temperature range.
13.1.5 A copy of all original records that are presented.
13.1.6 The penetration softening temperature (T), C, and
13.1.7 The specific dated version of this test method used.
14. Precision and Bias
14.1 Precision:
14.1.1 Limited information from a single laboratory measuring polystyrene indicates that repeatability relative standard
deviation is 6 0.78C for a penetration softening temperature
of 101.42C using Method A. The repeatability standard
deviation is 6 0.20C for a penetration softening temperature
of 98.17 C using Method B.
14.1.2 Limited information from a single laboratory measuring poly (vinyl chloride) indicates that the repeatability
standard deviation is 6 2.8C for a penetration softening
temperature of 125.7C using method A. The repeatability
standard deviation is 6 6.3C for a penetration softening
temperature of 62C using method B.
14.1.3 An interlaboratory test program is being planned for
2005 to determine the precision of this standard. Anyone
wishing to participate in this test program should contact the
E37 Staff Manger at ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor
Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.
14.2 Bias:
14.2.1 Bias is the difference between the value obtained and
that of a reference material or value.
14.2.2 The bias for this method has not yet been determined.
14.3 Comparison of Results to that of Other Methods:
14.3.1 Test Method D 1525 reports a repeatability standard
deviation of 6 0.24C for polystyrene for the VICAT softening
temperature of 97.3C using Method A.

12. Calculation
12.1 Calculate the deflection value as follows:
d 5 @3 F/4 D E# 2 do

(2)

where:
E = modulus, MPa,
F = force, N,
D = diameter of a circular, flat tipped probe, mm,
d = penetration depth, mm, and
do = baseline depth at temperature T, mm.
NOTE 7Note the identity Pa = N / m2

12.1.1 For example, if:

E
F
D
do

=
=
=
=

6.65 MPa,
0.15 N,
0.889 mm, and
0.0003 mm

d 5 @3 3 ~0.15 N! / ~4 3 ~0.889 mm! 3 ~6.65 MPa!!# 3 ~Pa m2 / N!

3 ~MPa / 106 Pa! 3 ~103 mm / m! 3 ~106 m / m! 1 0.0003 mm
3 ~103 m / mm!
5 19.0 1 0.3

15. Keywords
15.1 penetration temperature; softening; strain; stress; temperature; thermomechanical analysis (TMA); vicat temperature

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E 2347 04
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